Many colostomy and ileostomy patients have an artificial intestinal opening in the abdominal wall, and the flow of solid, liquid, semi-liquid and gaseous waste products therethrough cannot be controlled at will. A similar problem exists when an artificial urethra opening has been made in the abdominal wall and in cases of anal incontinence. One way of solving the problems involved herein is to affix some form of bag or pouch to the abdomen or seat of the patient so as to collect the waste material and remove and replace the bag at suitable intervals. Another way is to close the opening by some form of plug or cover plate and remove and reinsert or replace it at intervals in order to drain the intestine or urethra. The pouch or bag as well as the plug or cover may be kept in place by various kinds of means, such as straps, adhesives or combinations thereof. Comparatively recently there has also been developed magnetic systems for maintaining such devices in place.
Recently there has been developed sealing systems comprising a more or less cylindrical and more or less soft expansible or compressible sealing body adapted to be inserted into outer parts of the intestinal duct or artificial urethra in sealing contact with its walls. Centrally in the sealing body there is a magnet and in the tissue surrounding the outer part of the duct in question there is a ring-magnet which keeps the sealing member in place. Such sealing systems are disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 801,326 (now U.S. Pat. No. 4,154,226) or British Pat. application No. 15731/77.
The present invention is an improvement of magnetic systems for use in sealing natural and artificial intestinal and urethra openings of the general type mentioned, especially for use in connection with sealing bodies not connected with collecting pouches or bags. However, in some cases it may be expedient to connect the magnetic system with some form of collecting bags. The invention is not concerned with sealing pads, sealing tampons, collecting pouches or similar devices as such, nor with means for allowing the escape of gases without causing too much embarrassment and such means will therefore only be mentioned or described in so far as necessary for understanding the magnetic system.